Quick-closing substantially balanced gate valve



Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE QUICK-CLOSING SUBSTANTIALLY BALANCED GATE VALVE Isidor B. Laskowitz, Brooklyn, N. Y.

ApplicationNovember 19, 1946, Serial No. 710,834 2 Claims. (Cl. 251--18) This invention relates to valves and more particularly to substantially balanced gate valves. It is an important object of this invention to provide a movable valve element that is adapted y to stop the flow through a valve body no matter in which direction the flow of fluid is directed.

It is also an object of this invention to produce a valve element that is provided with positive means to easily operate the valve element to open or close the same as well as regulate the amount of opening or closing of the valve element to reg ulate the ow of fluid through the valve body.

It is furthermore an objectof this invention to provide in the valve body a double walled partition having spaced valve seats cooperating with equally spaced valve seats on the movable valve element. i

Itis an object of this invention to provide a movable open ended tubular ring shaped valve element constituting a portion of a truncated tube the truncated ends of which constitute valve l `seats on the movable valve element. The truncated ends may be either parallel or converging, preferably only slightly converging.

Itis a further object of this invention to providea valve element of such mechanical design or Vcontour so as to lend itself to substantially balanced pressures when operating or when in open or closed position thereby reducing stresses and strains on the valve element and on its operating means as well as the mounting means for the valve element. p

It is also an object of my invention to provide in the valve body inspection openings having closures therefor whereby an investigation of the condition of the interior of the valve body and its valve seats as well as the condition of the movable valve element, may be ascertained.

Other objects and advantages will be revealed in the detailed description of my preferred embodiment disclosed on my drawings which constitute a part of my application.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of my balanced pressure Valve.

Fig. 2 is a substantially vertical section taken longitudinally and centrally therethrough and showing the ring valve element in vertical section including the mounting means therefor.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View of my valve including the mounting and operating means for the valve element.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and porgland. nut I5.

`tubular ring or truncated tube.

2 tions of pipe connections are shown to the right and left thereof in dot and dash lines.

The drawing is merely illustrative and not definitive of my invention except as claimed herein.

The reference characters identify the parts and details of my valve in both the specification and drawings.

The hollow valve body I is provided with hanged tubular portions 2 and 3 so that the iluid may flow through the open valve in either direction. The tubular portions may be coaxial as shown but they may be differently constructed to suit any other condition required.

The body I is provided with an upright tubular extension 4 including a pocket 5. The extension Itis provided with an apertured flange 6 to which a closure 'I is secured by bolts 8. The pocket 5 receives a portion of the valve element when in open or partly open condition. The body I is also provided with spaced coaxially aligned apertured bosses '9 and I0 constituting bearings to receive a shaft II for operating the valve element. The boss 9 and the body I has an external extension I2 on the body I coaxial with the bosses 9 and Il). The external extension I2 is provided with-a screw threaded tubular portion I'3to receive gland packing Ill and a The body I is further provided with a double walled partition having Walls I6 and Il spaced from each other andfrom the walls of the body I` except the portions of the partition integral with the body and the bosses thereof. The valve body is also provided with a shallow tubular lateral extension I8V provided with a cover I9 bolted thereto as shown in Fig. 3. This lateral tubular extension I8 constitutes an inspection opening and it may be coaxial with the aligned apertures in the Walls I6 and I'I. The opposed `walls I6 and I'I have inwardly extending` projections formed around the openings to provide annular valve seats 20 and ZI adjacent the front and rear portions of the partition. The space 22 is in direct communication with the ytubular portion 3f The valve element 23 is of particular mechanical design or contour comprising an open ended The truncated ends or edge faces constitute valve faces 24 and 25 adapted to coact with the annular valve seats 2i! and 2l, respectively. The valve element 23 is provided with an apertured ear 26 to receive the shaft-,II secured thereto by `a cross pin 2'I Washers 28 and 29 are located on the shaft I I one on each side of the ear 26 and engaging the bosses il and I l). These washers prevent undue requires consideration.

vided with a bracket arm bolted to the externalI extension l2 by the bolt 34. y Y

The Valve seats 2l, and the valvev faces 24 and may be substantially parallel to each other but it is preferred that the planes defining the valve seats be inclined to converge toward each other at a position to the left side of the valve construction as disclosed in Figs. 2 and 4, l

whereby the most forward portion of the movable valve element itA is the narrowest and the most rearward portion is the broadest. By having the valve seats thus inclined a wedging and tightly sealing'action may be produced.

The pipeV portions and 3d, shown in dot and dash lines in Figs. 2 and 4, merely indicate schematically how flanged pipe sections may be secured toany valve by bolts (not shown) or otherwise secured.

Operation From the above description the general operation of my valve appears to be obvious and consequently only the distribution of iiuid pressure In this connection attention is primarily directed to the consideration of Figs. 2 and 4. Let it be assumed, first, that the fluid is flowing from the right to the left, when the' valve element 23 is open as shown in dash line's of Fig'. 2, through the body i. In this condition the element 23 will be entirely surrounded by luid so that no unbalanced component of pressure appears to be of any material consequence in the movement or operation of theA element 23. The flow, as assumed in the foregoing premise, will be into the tubular eX- tension 3, thenmbetween the spaced walls I6 and i1 and through the apertures thereof into the valve body l and finally out through the tubular extension 2.

Now let it be assumed that the open ended tubular ring valve element 23is closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, andl the fluid flow is stopped. The pressure is assumed to be from the right to the left and' is normally distributed about the circumference of open ended tubular ring valve element 23, so that, if the open ended tubular ring is wedge shaped, as shown in Fig. 4, then the increased area withstands the greater pressure because: the total pressure on any surface is the product of the pressure per unit area multiplied by the number of units of area. It foll`ows,`therefore, that the greater the area the greater the pressure. the pressure as applied to the open ended tubular ring valve element 23 of Fig. 4 under the conditionsassumed would tend to hold the open ended tubular ring valve element 23 closed. The less the convergence of the planes defining the valve seats, the more nearly the pressure becomes N equalizedv oniopposite outside portions of the open ended tubular ring valve element 23. If the valve seats 28, 2 I`, and the valve faces 24 and 25 are made parallel to each other, then the pressure is` totally equaliz'ed;

It is also conclusive thatv Now, if it is assumed that the open ended tubular ring valve element 23 is closed, as in Figs. 2 and 4, and the iiuid pressure is in the portion 2 of the valve body l, then the pressure would tend to open the valve element 23, since all of the pressure applied would be on the inside of the open ended tubular ring valve element 23. If the valve seats are made parallel, under the conditions last named, thepressure on'4 all inside portions of the valve element would' be totally equalized and there would be no pressure tendency to either open or close the valve element.

It is'observed generally that if the valve seats are substantially parallel, then the pressures on thevalve element are substantially equalized or balanced. f

It is contemplated that any relative amount of inclination of the valve seats 20,21, 24 and 25 l may be adopted, in fact, the valve seats may be parallel, substantially parallel, and the difierence betweeninclinedy valve seats and Yparallel valve seats may be so slight that such Idifference may be less than any assignable quantity.

My tubular rine valve element 23v is just like a ring lying in Water, providing there is water on both sides of the valve element under equal pressure in the valve body l'. It is also contemplated that my tubular ring valve element should be made strong enough to prevent collapsing or bursting by expansion force. within the tubular ring 23 even if the liquid' pressure isv very high.

Itwill thus be seen :from the foregoing description, that I have provided a quick-closing balanced' wedge gate valve that will at all times be positive-andeilicient'in its operation, and furthermore, the valve can be opened and closed quickly with little effort. The simplicity of my improved gate valve renders the same light, inexpensive in its manufacture, yet strong' and durable.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it'isto be understood that minor changes in the size, shapev and larrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing vfrom the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus describedv the invention, what I claim' is: y

l'. In a gate valve, the combination of a body provided with aligned inlet and outlet chambers at its respective: ends, a partition member arranged vertically and centrally within the body and comprising spaced side walls connected together at their forward edges by a curved Wall, the latter being disposed adjacent the inlet chamber, said side walls diverging gradually from thel curved front wall and merging at their rear'e'dges with the adjacent sides of the valve body adjacent the outlet chamber, said side walls being formed with registering ports, inwardly extending projections formed on the inner faces of the side walls around the ports to provide annular valve seats adjacent the front andrearportions of the partition member, a truncated open-ended ring forming a valve element mounted for vertical swinging movement between the sidewalls or the partition member, the edge faces' ofl the ring coacting with the annular valve se'ats'on saidv side walls, and means for manually actuating the valve element for moving the same to either an open or closed position.

2. In a gate valve, the combination yof a body provided with aligned inlet and outlet chambers at its respective ends, a partition member arranged vertically and centrally within the body and comprising spaced side walls connected together at their forward edges by a curved wall, the latter being disposed adjacent the inlet chamber, said side walls diverging gradually from the curved front wall and merging at their rear edges with the adjacent sides of the valve body adjacent the outlet chamber, said side Walls being formed with registering ports, inwardly extending projections formed on the inner faces of the side walls around the ports to provide annular valve seats adjacent the front and rear portions of the partition member, a truncated open-ended ring forming a valve element mounted for vertical swinging movement between the side Walls of the partition member, the edge faces of the ring coacting with the annular valve seats on said side Walls, and means for manually actuating the valve element for moving the same to either an open or closed position, said means including an oscillating shaft extending transversely into the valve body above the partition member, an ear extending upwardly from the valve element and connected to said shaft, and an actuating lever secured on the outer end of the oscillating shaft.

ISIDGR B. LASKOWITZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 360,167 Lunkenheimer Mar. 29, 1887 495,739 Kennedy Apr. 18, 1893 911,353 Williams Feb. 2, 1909 994,955 Sayre June 13, 1911 1,109,774 Lutes Sept 8, 1914 1,839,683 Laskowitz Jan. 5, 1932 

